Vine leaves wrapped, also known as dolmades, are a delicious, nutritious and easy way to make a healthy meal. Whether fresh in the summer or preserved in brine, they offer a low-calorie wrapper that is free of fat and cholesterol while providing essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium.
The leaves of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) are unique in that they are divided into three to five deep lobed lobes. The lobes are a good source of nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin E and also provide an excellent medium for the stuffing of meats and other foods in many popular Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes.
Stuffed vine leaves, called dolma in Greece, are made by filling the leaves with a variety of ingredients and rolling them up to form small logs or kapitania. The most common fillings are beef, rice and spices. A vegetarian version of dolmas can be made using a mix of cooked herby rice, tofu and spices such as 7 Spice and cinnamon.
Acute aqueous extracts of vine leaves reduced renal calcium excretion, creatinine and sodium chloride in diabetic rats and increased urine volume in nondiabetic rats. Furthermore, the extracts exhibited antioxidant properties and restored renal function in rats suffering from diabetes by lowering lipid oxidation and improving endothelial dysfunction and platelet aggregation. This is attributed to the phenolic compounds in vine leaves, particularly epicatechin. ملفوف ورق عنب